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Macbeth's Stone is a Bronze Age standing stone located in Perthshire, Scotland. The monument rises from bedrock of the Arbuttnott-Garvock Group, Pragian sandstones interlayered with conglomerate, siltstone and mudstone that form the geological foundation of this part of central Scotland. The stone's position within this landscape of mixed sedimentary geology is typical of Bronze Age ritual monuments, which were often placed at significant natural or topographical locations visible within the surrounding terrain.
Standing stones of this period, generally dating between 3000 and 1500 BCE, served purposes that remain partly enigmatic but likely combined territorial, ceremonial and ancestral functions within Bronze Age communities. Macbeth's Stone stands as evidence of the monumentality achieved by these early societies, whose ability to quarry, transport and erect substantial stones demonstrates considerable social organisation and labour coordination.
The stone is now protected by Historic Environment Scotland under reference SM2408, ensuring its preservation as an important record of Bronze Age settlement and belief in Perthshire. Its survival from prehistory to the present day, despite the extensive agricultural and industrial use of the Scottish landscape, makes it a valuable archaeological resource for understanding the region's earliest monumental traditions.
Macbeth's Stone, standing stone is a scheduled monument protected by Historic Environment Scotland under reference SM2408. View the official record →
Macbeth's Stone is a Bronze Age standing stone located in Perthshire, Scotland. It is designated a Scheduled Ancient Monument by Historic Environment Scotland under reference SM2408.
Macbeth's Stone, standing stone dates from the bronze age period, and is classified as a standing stone. It is one of over 32,000 scheduled monuments protected across the UK.
Macbeth's Stone, standing stone is a Scheduled Ancient Monument, legally protected by Historic Environment Scotland — the body responsible for designating and safeguarding heritage sites in Scotland. The official designation reference is SM2408.
Several scheduled monuments lie within 10 km, including Kinpurnie Castle,cairn 400m WNW of (2.8 km), High Keillor, symbol stone and cairn, 280m NW of (3.8 km), Kettins Kirkyard,cross slab (6.1 km).
This page is just one thread. A full Aubrey report pulls together 14 strands of Macbeth's Stone, standing stone's history, each drawn from the record and mapped to the exact spot:
Every location is different. Not every section appears for every place, only what the historical record actually holds turns up in a report.
Macbeth's Stone, standing stone stands on Arbuthnott-Garvock Group, bedrock that formed in the Pragian. The rock here is sandstone with subordinate conglomerate, siltstone and mudstone.